It is well known that soft drinks consist of a combination of flavoring/sweetening syrup and soda or carbonated water. The sweetness or "brix" of the resulting soft drink is a function of the ratio of syrup to soda. It has been found that this ratio is critical to obtain and maintain a desired quality and taste of soft drinks dispensed from a dispenser. Accordingly, this invention presents an apparatus and technique for setting the brix of a soft drink dispenser.
Previously, it has been know to measure the amount of syrup dispensed during a dispensing cycle in a soft drink dispenser. The quantity so obtained is then compared to the required quantity for the desired brix and requisite adjustments of the dispensing time cycle and/or pressure head employed for dispensing the syrup are the made. A subsequent measurement is then made to determine whether the desired brix has been achieved. If not, the adjustment is made again and the process repeated until the desired brix is achieved.
Present day dispensing systems employ microprocessor or other sophisticated control units to regulate the dispensing cycle. In such modern systems, the amount of syrup dispensed during a dispensing cycle is received by a measurement cylinder. Based upon that measurement, a number of dual inline paddings (DIP) switches or the like are set to increase or decrease the pressure head acting upon the syrup during the dispensing cycle. Similar DIP switches could also be adjusted to regulate the duration of the syrup dispensing cycle, similarly increasing or decreasing the amount of syrup dispensed thereby. In either event, a dispensing cycle is again entered into, with the syrup being received by the measurement cylinder. The DIP switches are again adjusted and the process repeated until the desired quantity of syrup is dispensed during the dispensing cycle.
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the prior apparatus and techniques for setting the brix in a beverage dispenser are given to human error. Indeed, such systems and techniques employ a trial and error approach to the desired adjustment. Further, employment of the technique is time consuming and has inherent inaccuracies resulting from the limitations of adjustments in fixed increments accommodated by the DIP switches or other adjustment mechanisms. Yet further, the prior art techniques and apparatus are given to tampering after the adjustment has been made.